alright...just to answer my own post and to help anyone else out there wondering about sizing...
i ordered both 39 & 39.5. these boots run HUGE. i could've easily even gone down to 38.5. the leather is extremely soft and i can tell that they will stretch quite a bit over time. i prefer my shoes to fit me exactly with little to no wiggle room at all. i do not wear "socks" with ankle boots. i always wear footies or really thin trouser style socks. so i am returning both pairs. i also did not fall in love with the susanna boot (i may be the only person in this world who feels this way) and did not want to settle for "liking" these boots for their hefty pricetag.
i hope this information helps any others out there who wonder about which size to get. in my case, one full size DOWN (possibly 1.5 sizes) is what worked for me. for reference, i am a US9, EU39.5-40.
to the fellow susanna owners on here, enjoy your booties! they all look fabulous on you! sadly, they just weren't my cup of tea.
